Make this season cruelty free
By Pat Ragan
As we enter the holiday season, it's important to think
about how the choices we make affect the lives of animals. And
thinking about fur is a good way to start. Traps kill millions
of animals in the United States and worldwide more than 30
million captive-raised animals are killed for their fur every
year. These staggering numbers don't even take into account the
millions of "untargeted" wild animals, dogs, and cats who are
maimed and killed in fur traps annually.
But there's no need to wear fur, and our Fur-Free Century
campaign is designed to let everyone know it. Synthetic fabrics
lighter, warmer, and less expensive than fur are available
everywhere. And choosing cruelty-free clothing and gifts is a
great—and easy—way to live a more humane life.
The fur industry tries very hard to confuse the buying
public by making fur appear more like a fabric than like animal
skin. Fur is dyed, sheared, and tailored in styles unlike
traditional full-length coats. That's why it's important to pay
close attention to fashions this year—real animal fur is used
in linings and interwoven with other fabrics. Altered real fur
can look synthetic. It can even fool salespeople.
So be careful when you shop. If it feels like fur or looks
like fur—even synthetic fur—and the store staff can't tell you
for sure that it isn't, don't buy it. And while it's easy to
equate a full-length fur coat with the brutal deaths of dozens
of animals, it's also easy to forget that just a little trim on
collars or cuffs is the product of animal suffering and death,
too. Ask lots of questions about the clothing and fabrics and
let the store staff know that you don't wear fur and that you
hope they don't stock it. And don't forget to check pet toys
for fur parts when you buy gifts for four-legged friends.
To make a big statement about fur and help your
neighbors think about their choices, post one of our
Fur-Free Century billboards in your community. Choose a
Cassini-designed Santa wishing everyone to "Have a Fur-Free
Holiday" or our award-winning "I'm Not a Coat" arctic fox, dog,
or cat design. We'll provide the artwork, you order the space,
and everyone wins—especially the animals.
Pat Ragan heads The HSUS Fur-Free
Century campaign.
